Barrier Knight
by defo18
Summary: Jaune Arc Needed to get stronger. Coming from a family of famous Huntsmen, you'd expect he would be pretty competent, but that wasn't the case. His father treated him as the black sheep and never trained Jaune. He returns to his home to find out why he was never trained, while fighting dark forces in the city he called home. Also featuring Team CFVY
1. Yeldale Arc Part 1: Returning Home

**Hey guys. This a little something I threw together. This story will explore why Jaune knew so little of Aura and Huntsmen in general. I thought it was a little weird that He comes from a family of heroes yet knew little about being a huntsmen. Also Team CFVY will be featured and played with in this fic as they are really obscure** **characters. Also ships will happen.**

 **Volume 4 is going on right now so this fic will deviate from that. This is like a Alternate story of what Jaune did after Pyrrha diedEnjoy!**

 **Barrier Knight: Yeldale Arc Part 1: Returning Home**

Power comes with practice. Skill is achieved through hours of hard work. He knew that, he firmly believed in that. Hard work could transform a man into something greater. Some were born talented but still had to practice. Some were born into a wealthy family or had parents who knew a trade and could pass on those skills.

He was such a child.

Jaune Arc came from a family of huntsmen. The Arcs. They were famous around remnant. They were all knights, swordsmen. They were renowned for their large pools of aura and swordplay. Some would it genetic; others would say God had graced them with such power. For Jaune neither was the case.

He was always horrible at combat. His form was sloppy; he had a weak constitution and little knowledge on aura. But all of that was not of his choosing.

For some reason his parents refused to teach him how to be a huntsmen. It felt that was unfair considering he had seven other sisters who had learned under their parents. Why was he singled out? He would get his answer today.

It was a few days after Beacon fell and Pyrrha died. He was in sorrow. His best friend and partner had died. She was always so kind to him, one the few people he could actually call friend. When everyone else saw a weakling or an idiot she saw potential. And he would always thank her for it. If only she were here now.

He needed to get stronger. If only he were a little faster or a little more powerful he could have done something. He could have saved Pyrrha. He could have saved Ozpin. He could have saved Beacon. He could have saved the day. That's why he returned to his home. Ren and Nora insisted that they come along. But he told them that he needed to do this alone. They decided to go to Vacuo to perform odd jobs while Jaune went to train.

It was called Yeldale. A town that neighbored Vale. The town served as a hub for scholars and intellectuals. His own mother Honey Arc was a professor. She taught at a local high school. Though with the panic that is sweeping across the world with the fall of Beacon, many schools across the region have been closed. Jaune figured she would be home.

His father was different. His mother Honey was friendly and kind, where much of Jaune's own personality sprung from. But his father Vermillion was the opposite. He was a stoic, hardy individual. He was a military father, having been a huntsmen all his life. Vermillion was a known hero in the Huntsmen community. He had protected Yeldale from a hoard of Grimm during his teen years and graduated from Beacon at the age of nineteen, a whole two years earlier than the average. Least to say Jaune had to live up to.

Jaune had approached his doorstep as memories of his childhood flowed from the depths of his consciousness. The fun times with his sisters, the hard times with his father. No matter how many times Jaune asked to be trained by his father, he was refused. Oddly enough his father wanted Jaune to be a scholar like his mother. He never knew why though.

He gave the door a few knocks as his heart began to pound.

 _Oh my god. It's been so long since I saw any of them. They are probably pissed. After I forged my transcripts I left without a word._ Jaune thought.

He could only imagine the panic he must have put his family through. But he had to be strong and hope that they would forgive him. He needed to know why he wasn't trained. He needed his father's teachings if he was going to improve.

"One moment!" He heard from inside the house.

Jaune's heart sped up. He recognized the voice as his sister Maize. She was a year younger than him at sixteen. She was finishing up her final year at Signal academy.

She opened the door surprised to her brother as he put on his goofy smile. Maize was about five foot eight. She had the trademark yellow hair that they inherited from her mother and blue eyes that belonged to her dad. She had on her armor which was very flashy in Jaune's opinion. It was lightly tented with yellow and it covered her entire form, only leaving her for arms exposed, but they were protected by matching gauntlets, it also had the Arc symbol on her chest plate.

"Hey there sis." Jaune greeted.

"OHMYGOD! Jaune its you!" She screamed snagging him into a bear hug. She was happy to see him as it had been months since she last heard of him.

"I was so worried! Why didn't you tell us you were going to Beacon! You just up and left!" Maize asked punching her brother in the shoulder. She and the rest of her family were surprised that Jaune was accepted into Beacon, he was not a good fighter at all and he lacked a certain hardiness that comes with that.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that sis. That's actually why I'm here. I need to explain a few things as well as get some answers from dad." He explained. "Are all of the girls here?"

"No. I'm the only one here. Everyone else is outside the city." Maize answered. "But that can wait. Come on in, father would love to see you." With that she dragged her brother into the impressive house the was the Arc estate. He doubted that his father would be glad to see him or in a good mood even. Vermilion Arc almost never showed any emotion outside of anger.

The Arc Estate was almost like a mansion. The family had served Remnant for so long as huntsmen that the money they earned accumulated into a generous amount of income. He and Maize walked through different sections of the house, recalling times of their childhood. Jaune looked around at the space he called home. There were old photos and weapons on display of previous Arcs who had left their mark on Remnant. It was a cruel reminder of everything Jaune wasn't and what he wanted to be.

Jaune tried to prepare himself but he couldn't shake the nervousness. His father was not easy to talk to. He doubted trying to explain his forging of his transcripts and stealing Crocea Mors would be easier.

He and his sister walked through the many corridors and approached their father's study.

Jaune hesitated. This was a crucial moment. Facing his father was indeed scary for him but he had to see it through.

He opened the large doors leading into the study. Across the room was a slightly surprised Vermillion Arc. The man was half way through his forties. He had a muscular build and strong jaw line. His hair a was a bright red, his eyes were an icy blue and he was covered in ceremonial robes and chainmail only reserved for the head of the Arc family. He appeared to be doing paperwork of some sort.

Jaune almost lost his tongue as there was a very crippling silence within the study. The silence was broken when Vermilion turned in his chair.

"Well, the prodigal son returns." Vermilion said with distaste turning back to his work, not even acknowledging his son. Jaune cringed at that.

"Uh..hey dad." He manged to muster. This would prove harder than he thought.

"Don't hey Dad me. When were you going to inform us of your departure?" Vermilion asked

"I ..I was planning on telling you, but I was caught up with things." It was the truth. Between the training and missions Jaune had little time.

"Yeah I figured. I heard you're a team leader. HA! You a leader. That's cute." Vermilion insulted. Jaune was a little hurt by the comment. Maize wanted to say something but did not want to earn her father's ire.

"Yeah. I'm the leader-er was the leader of Team JNPR." Jaune struggled to get out.

"Believe me. I know about all your exploits at Ozpins damn school. You were on every TV in Vale when the Vytal Festival was going on. We all saw you fight. It was a pitiful display."

Jaune felt stupid when he heard that. Of course it was televised. His parents saw the whole thing. Hell the whole world saw.

"What!? But we won our fight." Jaune defended recalling his bout with Team BRNZ

"No. Your team won that. All you did was block attacks and bark out orders." Vermilion interjected.

His father had always been like this. Cruel. But only to him. Whenever his sisters made mistakes or acted out they were only reprimanded like other children. Jaune always got it worse. He was never abused physically, but verbally he was Vermilion's punching bag.

"Look dad. I came back to apologize for up and leaving like I did. But I also need you to teach me how to fight." Jaune explained. His father was a powerful huntsmen and he knew how to slay Grimm. Also Jaune wanted to train under his father as a bonding tool. What son didn't want to learn from their dad? Jaune never had that as a kid.

Vermilion was silent, his icy cold eyes staring at his only son. Maize could cut the tension in the room with a butter knife. She hated when her dad messed with Jaune. He never deserved any of it.

Jaune couldn't take the silence anymore.

"Well. Will you please teach me? I'm asking as your son. You taught the girls but you never even acknowledged me." Juane asked solemnly bowing his head.

"….No. You were never meant to be a huntsman." Vermillion answered coldly.

Maize was shocked at that. Jaune, even more so.

"What! WHY!? I'm your son dad. Why won't you help me!? Have I not been a good child? I admit forging my transcripts was bad but I felt like I had no other choice!" Jaune screamed pouring out his frustrations." Being a

Vermillion laughed at the sight of his son on the floor, on his knees.

"This is why. You'd beg like a damn dog. That is not the Arc way. We are strong. THE GREATEST HUNTSMEN IN ALL OF REMNANT! You are the weak link. It is as I said. You were never cut out to be huntsmen!"

Jaune could no longer keep the tears from falling from his eyes. He always heard those words from the occasional bullies he faced throughout his childhood. People always doubted his ability. They would be so surprised that an Arc would be horrible at fighting. But no matter what they said he always forged on.

But hearing those same spirit crushing words come out of his father's mouth hurt more than anything.

Maize felt awful. "Father! How can you say something like that!?"

"You do not need to worry about that weakness Maize." Vermillion said in a comforting voice, displaying the special treatment of his children.

Jaune thought back to his times at Beacon. His adventures with his team. Pyrrha. He had to be strong, in honor of her. His father would not stop him.

"Fine. I've done fine without you. I'll be better without you." Jaune grunted at his father. Vermillion was…surprised. Jaune never had the confidence to snap back at him before. This was proof that Jaune had improved, not only as a Huntsman but as a man.

Jaune without saying a word withdrew Crocea Mors, shield and all from his belt and placed it hard on his father's desk. He then showed himself out of his home.

Vermillion looked out the window as his son's body faded into the scenery of Yeldale. A tear fell from Vermillion's eye as his treatment of his son fueled his guilt. In truth Vermillion did not detest his son. He loved him just as he loved all of his children. But Vermillion's treatment was not out of cruelty. It was out of survival. Jaune's survival. Vermillion's eyes changed colors, the left one became red, the right became green. His tears flowed ever strong.

"So, how does his vision look?" Maize asked placing a gentle hand on her father's shoulder.

"It is the same. His future is still the same." Vermillion answered as he broke down in sobs, the pain bringing him to his knees. This wasn't the first time he foresaw Jaune's future. He always saw the future and he could always change it if he avoided and manipulated certain things. But no matter what he did, Jaune's future remained the same.

Vermillion's Semblance was called Chrono Eye or The eye of Chrono. It could see into the someone's past and future. Only he, his wife and Maize knew of his power. Naturally he used this power on all of his children. And he did not need to worry about his daughters as their futures were sure to be great. But Jaune's future would end in tragedy.

If Jaune pursued the path of a Huntsman, he would die.

* * *

Jaune couldn't believe, though he shouldn't be surprised. Vermillion was never the ideal father. He treated Jaune like crap all of his life and even more so when he stated that he wanted to be a huntsmen. After he left his estate he ventured into the Marketplace of Yeldale in search of nourishment. He was upset, doubtful and now without a weapon. But food would cheer him up for the time being.

He stopped by an old restaurant that called Monty's (See what I did there!? XD). It had stood in Yeldale for as long as the entire town existed. Many people and customers within the establishment knew Jaune and his family as the Arcs were the de facto protectors of the city.

A waitress showed him to his table. He ordered his usual burger and fries as he surfed the web on his scroll. There was a Huntsmen database that informed any logged in Huntsmen or Huntress about job offers or traditional information.

He was looking up information about Semblances. He was struggling with discovering his since he started training at Beacon. He knew that semblances were unique to each individual. Some were tied to one's emotions such as Ruby's speed. She was young and energetic. It fitted her. Some were conditional, only activating when certain requirements were met. Nora gained strength from electricity but that was only if she came into contact with it. Yang took power from hits, but she couldn't just turn in on whenever she wanted.

He wondered if his would be conditional or practical. Pyrrha's polarity was extremely useful as metal was everywhere. Her opponents wielded metal weapons and she could use her environment if needed. Weiss's glyphs offered different effects and options in combat.

 _GAAAHHH! They are all so amazing. Why won't mine come to me!?_ He pondered taking another bite of his sandwich before leaving a tip and exiting the diner. A message popped up on his phone. Surprisingly it was from Velvet, the Bunny Faunus from Beacon. She had Dr. Oobleck's class with Jaune and his friends. He had a few encounters with her. She was shy but fun to be around none the less. They had a shared history of being bullied by Cardin Winchester. Ironically in the pain they found friendship.

He read the message.

 **Hey Jaune! It's Velvet. – Velvet.**

 **Hey Velv! – Jaune**

 **Team CFVY is in Yeldale and we want you to join us on a job. You want in? - Velvet**

He kicked himself. If only he hadn't left Crocea Mors with his father. He was asked for a job and now he was weaponless.

 _That fine. I'll just pick something up from the local shop._ He thougt as he replied to the text.

 **Sure thing! – Jaune**

 **Great. We are taking out a hoard of Grimm that have been circling the outskirts of the city. We'll meet with you in an hour at the town entrance. See ya then.- Velvet**

Okay. It was set. He headed to the Ware's shop immediately. He gasped at the marvelous selection of goods made for monster slaying. There were axes, broadswords, spears, pistols rifles and other killing tools. He didn't need anything too fancy, a normal sword and shield would do fine for him. He scanned the shop as he found a nice set of equipment. The label attached to it said "Silver Knight Set".

He picked it up and brought it to the clerk. His name-tag read "Kerry." (HaHa!)

"That'll be about 400 lien." Kerry said. Jaune gave him the money and made his way out the door with his new gear. The Silver knight sword was not as heavy as it looked. It was a little longer than his previous weapon and it had a longer handle as too switch to a double handed grip. The shield was light and sturdy. After getting comfortable with his equipment he ventured toward the Yeldale gate.


	2. Yeladale Arc: Part 2 Pearl

**Barrior Knight Yeldale Arc: Part 2 Pearl**

"Hey Jaune! Over Here!" Velvet called to the blonde knight. He was gasping for breath as he ran to their meeting spot, trying not to be late. There waiting for him was team CFVY, second year team of Beacon Academy.

There was Coco Adel, the spunky and fashionable leader. She gave a casual smile and nod. "Welcome aboard Arc."

Her partner was Fox Alistair, still as quiet as any other time Jaune interacted with him. Yatsuhashi Daichi was the towering giant on their team. He gave a courtly nod.

"Okay, what's the situation?" Jaune asked.

Coco began to explain "There have been a hoard of Grimm circling the city for a few days now, the local militia has been able to take care of them for now but-"

"Yeldale's army doesn't want to waste its time and men on the Grimm, they're too worried about the border dispute with a neighboring town. Trust me; I've lived here my entire life. Neither the government nor the army will help us here." Jaune continued, taking her explanation.

CFVY was surprised, though they shouldn't have been. This was his home and his people.

"Velvet did say this was your home, I guess you're the perfect guide for us." Yatsuhachi said, giving Jaune a friendly smack on the shoulder, causing Jaune great pain.

"Ow. Thanks" Jaune said. "I'm guessing that's why they sent out a notice for the surrounding Huntsmen, so we will do their job."

"It sucks, but it's our job as Huntsmen. Let's get it done." Coco ordered. They began to trek their way out of the city into the forest where the Grimm were lurking.

"So how are you holding up?" Velvet asked.

"Okay, I guess. It just gets hard sometimes. I could have done more." Jaune responded. It was common among warriors to feel this way when one of their own fell in battle. Survivor's guilt. Velvet knew this feeling too.

"Jaune, it is not your fault. It was Pyrrah's choice to fight. Cinder Fall was too powerful, even if you did join in, you could have died too." Velvet tried to convey.

"Better me than her. She was the best warrior at Beacon. I can't even hold a sword right." Jaune said, head downcast, his father's words echoed in his mind. _You were never cut out to be a huntsmen!_

"Come on Jaune. Don't talk like that. You've come a long way." Velvet pressed. She was disappointed, yet she understood why. Jaune's confidence had reached an all-time low. And he had improved so much. When he first entered Beacon, he was not the best of fighters, but with training and tenacity he came a long way, now he could hold his own. But his recent tragedy had pushed him back. Velvet was the same way. She could relate.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked turning away from Jaune.

"Sure."

She prepared herself as she did not like this story, but she hoped it will motivate Jaune.

"I come from the Scarlatina family in Vacuo. My family is…complicated." She said looking back up to Jaune. "I am a Faunus as you can tell, but my mother was not. She was a human but she loved my father like crazy." She said smiling.

Jaune smiled as well. His father may be a bastard but his mother loved him anyway. Love conquers all as they say.

"Anyway, my mother's family did not like my fathers; they hated Faunus, including me. It didn't matter that I was their family, all they saw was an animal." She said saddened at the memory.

Jaune felt sympathy for the girl. It was horrible that Faunus were still treated the way they were.

"I could never play around my human cousins as they would bully me and call me names. It really broke my confidence and it stunted my growth as huntsmen. They made me feel like absolute crap."

"But look at you now. Weiss told me how you fought against the Atlas robots. You were amazing." Jaune said, finding it hard to believe Velvet was horrible at being a huntsman."

"Thanks, but that was then. It wasn't until I came to Beacon and my team helping me train that I really started to shine. Look. I'm trying to say that having low confidence will hamper your growth if you let it, be proud of your abilities, and pretty soon you'll find yourself being better than Pyyrah." The bunny Faunus assured.

"Thanks for that Velv, but I don't think anyone can be stronger than Pyrrah." Jaune said chuckling. The two continued to talk about things, ranging from school to the rest of team JNPR, to what they had been doing for the past few months. This didn't go unheard from the rest of CFVY.

"Well, well, well. Look at our Velvet back there." Coco said to Yatsuhashi. "She's getting really cuddly with Jaune back there."

"Indeed. It seems they sure a bond." Yatsuhashi said, ever stoic. Fox just nodded.

"You think she has a thing for him?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Eh, I think so. They do have a lot in common. He is a sweet guy, just a little lacking in confidence." Coco explained. "Also, his combat ability is not the greatest." She was not being cruel. She was being honest. He had improved leaps and bounds but he still was not to standard, at least to Coco's standards. Yatsuhashi agreed. Jaune Arc had improved in fighting Grimm, but not human or Faunus combatants. It could be argued that human and Faunus opponents were much deadlier than Grim as they had minds. They could strategize, analyze an opponents' style. Jaune could do that too, but every time he sparred with another student in class he loss.

He had to learn to fight other sentient individuals. Otherwise he'd be killed before facing any Grimm.

"Something else is bothering you?" Yatsuhashi asked, knowing Coco and her ways.

"Yeah. The Grimm are circling the city. As if they are lost or something. Like they are searching for something." Coco said.

"I agree. The Grimm are attracted to negativity, but they are not trying to enter the city."

"Then they must be trying to locate a source of those negative emotions, a source we are unaware of." Jaune interjected. "The people of Yeldale are generally peaceful. There wouldn't be that much negativity, especially at the scale in which the Grimm would be attracted to. There must be something we aren't seeing."

"What do you suggest we do then Jaune?" Velvet asked.

"We should tale the Grimm. Follow them at a safe distance. Try to observe as much as we can and try to locate whatever they are searching for." Jaune proposed.

"Alright then. Sounds like a plan." Coco said smiling behind her designer sunglasses.

Jaune and CFVY proceeded with the plan as they came up to the horde of Grimm.

XXXXXX

Very few people knew of Vermilion's power. His Eye of Chrono was tightly kept a secret as if anyone else knew of this power, they would use it for selfish reasons. He could imagine what his power in the hands of the wrong person could do. Knowing someone's future meant you could manipulate events to ensure another one.

Naturally he did it with all his children. His wife. And Himself even. His semblance was a powerful one. By looking at someone he can see a person's immediate and distant future. In combat he knew what moves a person would make. He would enter a battle completely aware of what his opponent would do. It's the reason why he was so invincible. There are a few people who had ever bested him in battle. The entirety of Team STRQ, and Ozpen. But those people were special.

Someone else who knew about his power was his old partner from his Academy days, Sable.

Sable was a dog Faunus and the current chief of the police in Yeldale. He was a little taller than Vermilion and had a very goofy personality. He had shaggy dark hair and his canine ears shared that color.

He would always find a way to get Vermilion in trouble, or the team. But he also always saw the positive in people which Vermilion admired. He had faith in the world and its people. Despite his kind demeanor he was a strong Huntsmen.

Vermillion had offered to use his power on Sable but he protested against it, saying that "whats the point of life if you knew what was going to happen?"

Vermillion was currently in Sable's office. They were discussing the recent missing persons' cases that were popping up around Yeldale.

"Come on in leader! Have a seat." Sable beckoned Vermilion as he strode around the other side of his desk. "Good to see you again. How's Honey?"

"She's good. Still trying to feed me those absurd crash diets." Vermilion replied chuckling.

"Hey, I thought they were delicious. Even back in our Team VHTS (Ventus) days she was always trying to be our mother." Sable commented back. Both men shared a chuckle.

"Alright. Let's get down to business; I need your help on a case. We've had ten people go missing within the last two months and my guys have nothing. I need your eyes for this." Sable said, growing serious.

"You know I do not like using my powers unless absolutely necessary." Vermilion responded

"This is absolutely necessary. People are missing Vermilion." Sable argued.

"Fine. But how will my power work. The Eye of Chronos only works if I'm looking at the person." Vermilion argued.

"I thought of that too. Hold up." Sable said. He opened up his desk drawer and pulled out files on each of the missing people. Sable handed one of the files to Vermilion. It read Pearl Wara.

"That is Pearl. She is the daughter of the Major. Huntsmen in training. Really high class. She was the first to go missing. Actually a lot of high class people have been missing. Whoever our perp is, he seems to hate the wealthy." Sable explained.

Vermilion acknowledged. This worried him. His family was a particularly wealthy one. He wondered if the kidnapper would target his family next. Most of his children were out of the city. Only his wife, Maize and Jaune remained.

 _Jaune…._

He started to sweat. This could be the event that cements Jaune's fate. His path of a Huntsman would get him killed. Every time he scanned Jaune's future, he was doubled over with a sword through his chest.

Vermilion had to find the killer now. It would pick of any variable that would threaten his son.

He looked the picture of Pearl. She was about Jaunes's age. She had on light armor, which matched her hair. Her color motif was a light blue and her hair was fashioned into a ponytail. She had a regal look. She was most likely an aristocrat like her family. He drew parallels to the Schnees.

Vermilion activated his power. His blue eyes turned colors. His left turned red, right green. All time stopped, as his eyes captured the girl. A scene of her future passed through his mind.

 **Pearl was sobbing. Her hands and sword covered in blood. She was crying hysterically standing over a figure Vermilion couldn't make out. She was inside some dark and abandoned factory or lab. Their were broken capsules and machines.**

 **A person came up to console her. The boy wrapped his arms around her, brushing her head. To Vermilion's surprise to was his son.**

The vision stopped. Vermillion was surprised. He didn't expect Jaune to be there. He was with the girl.

He was glad. He could kill two birds with one stone. He could protect his son, while finding Pearl and the missing people.

XXXXXX

Jaune and team CFVY were tailing the Grimm as closely as they dared. It was not an easy task as the Grim, especially the Beowolves, had a very acute sense of smell. They had followed the Grimm all the way around the city limits. They had been following for hours. They decided to camp out behind a thicket of bushes a few meters away.

It seemed that most of the Grimm would deviate from the group and focus a face of a cliff just down below a nearby waterfall outside of the city. The Grimm kept clawing at it, as if the wall was blocking them from something they wanted.

"You guys see that? What are they doing?" Velvet asked.

"They are clearly looking for something, possibly the source of the negativity." Yastuhashi answered.

"What do we do? Wait for them to stop?" Jaune asked.

Coco scanned the area. There were too many for the five of them to exterminate alone. They could wait, but they would be waiting for hours. She did notice however that the majority of the pack had ventured off on another rotation around the city's border.

"We wait, until most of them deviate from the rest. Then we swoop in and make quick work of the rest." Coco commanded. They all nodded, and proceeded to wait. A few minutes passed until there were a smaller amount of Grimm they could work with.

As soon as the last stray was out of sight. Coco transformed her bag into its mini gun form and began to unload on the Grimm. Bullets tore through the Grimm as they scoured about and rushed toward the Huntsmen.

Fox and Velvet sprang first. Fox made quick work of a very angry looking Ursa. He delivered quick blows and finished off with an elbow stab with his arm blades. Velvet's semblance allowed to copy Fox's exact moves and performed the same moves on the next couple of Ursa in her sight. As she was in the middle of combating a Beowolf, another one sped through swiping downward on her, only for it to be blocked by Yatsuhashi. He shook off the beast and in one powerful swing, bisected the monstrosity.

Jaune watched in awe at their teamwork. They didn't even need to exchange words with each other. It was like one mind spread across four bodies. Fox and Velvet were the quick melee fighters, Yatsuhashi was their tank, offering crowd control, and Coco was their gunner, picking off stragglers from long range. They were the perfect team.

He wouldn't let them show him up.

He dashed in, stabbing an Ursa from the back. The Silver Knight Sword, scraped against its spine as he retracted it from the beast. He ducked under a stinger attack from a Death-stalker. He blocked another attack from its claws with his shield and sliced opened its face. The monster fell, as its body dissolved. The Silver Knight Sword was heavier than Crocea Mors. Its hilt was about half a foot longer, indicating the preferred use of a two handed grip. He decided to put away the shield, and grip the long sword with both hands. He felt more comfortable with it now.

He swung in a large arc, cutting off two Ursa heads in one blow. He gained more power, but the two handed grip reduced his speed and control. He barely was able to parry a claw from another Ursa. The blow sent him staggering back, but he wasn't out of the fight yet. He swung back, lower this time, slicing open the stomach of the Ursa.

Coco watched the display. She was surprised and pleased. He had improved a lot more than she realized and silently apologized to the blonde goofball. She initially thought of Jaune as nothing more than a wannabe. I naive kid who was in over his head.

But He had proven himself. He had grown at an exceptionally fast rate. His two semesters at Beacon had trained him to stand on par with her and the others now.

"That's the last of them!" Jaune called, trying to catch his breath.

"Good job Everyone." Coco said.

They had all now cleared out the Grimm. They immediately began to investigate what the Grimm were after.

The wall of the face side of the waterfall had the claw marks left by the monsters, indicating that they were clearly trying to dig their way through.

"Should we blow our way through?" Velvet proposed.

"No, the explosion will attract the Grimm. We should dig our way through. Its quitter." Jaune argued.

"But do we have the time? By the time we break through the harder layer, the other Grimm will return to this area." Yatsuhashi countered.

They all began to bicker among themselves about what to do, save Fox.

He face palmed. He dug through his pocket and pulled out a canister full of fire dust. He held it up to show the rest of his team, they all stopped arguing.

"Of course! We can melt our way through!" Velvet said. She grabbed the canister from Fox and picked out a few pieces of hard fire dust. She charged a generous amount of Aura into the dust and planted it onto the wall. The stone slowly melted away revealing a corridor leading down into some stairs.

"Well…that was easy." Jaune said as he was first to enter the cave. The rest of CFVY followed and forged on to find what was attracting the Grimm.

What they found was something horrifying.

 **Sup Guys!**

 **How was that for a cliffhanger!**

 **Any who** **alot of things went down in this chapter.**

 **Vermillion was a leader of a team VHTS or Ventus. I believe its Latin for Wind.**

 **I tried to display the situation with Velvet as best as I could. I can identify with the Faunus in RWBY as I too am a minority( I'm Blacker than Coal XD) who has faced racism. But I also wanted to display what would happen in a situation with interracial Relationships. I have been in one before and I faced racism from both sides. I believe that would happen in Velvet's case. We may see more of that in the future.**


	3. Yeldale Arc : Part 3 Pearl 2

Barrior Knight Yeldale Arc Part 3: Pearl Part 2

Horror. It was a simple word that could describe the atrocity they all just witnessed.

It was no wonder the Grimm were so hell bent on finding this place. It was like a horror film.

There were bodies everywhere, the floors and walls were painted with blood and by the look of it =, the blood was fresh. Some of the people were still alive, strapped down on operating tables or hooked up to demonic like machinery.

It's clear that these people had been tortured. They were moaning and groaning as soon as Jaune and Team CFVY walked in.

None of them spoke as they were horrified and yet disgusted at the same time. Velvet looked like she was about to vomit.

Jaune figured he had to take the initiative. He walked over to one of the survivors of the atrocity. It was a man, about the age of his father. His clothes were torn and weathered and covered in blood. He was strapped to an operating table. Jaune quickly released him from the contraption.

"Sir are you okay!" Jaune said, struggling to control the volume of his voice.

"Yes..I believe so." The man answered.

"What's your name?"

"Coal. Coal Hayon."

"I'm Jaune Arc. I'm a Huntsman. This is Team CFVY. Please tell me what happened here." Jaune asked.

"It was..horrible. He tortured us for days." Coal answered struggling to get out the sentence.

"There are more survivors over here." Yatsuhashi called. The usually stoic and confidant man was now shaken. This mission was by far the most horrifying. As this was not done by Grimm. This was done by human hands, which made it all the more worse.

"Who could do something like this?" Velvet asked tending to the wounded.

"He never mentioned his name. But he had the look of a doctor or scientist. He had long orange reddish hair." Coal described trying to stay conscious.

"Okay. We need to find who did this. There looks like a path that leads deeper into the cave over there." Coco said. "Fox and Velv, you two stay here and tend to the wounded. Yatsuhashi and Arc are with me."

"Got it." Velvet said. Fox nodded.

Coco, Jaune and Yastuhashi continued deep into the laboratory weapons drawn, ever alert to whatever awaited them.

XXXX

Vermillion scanned his vison of Pearl over and over again. Trying to seek out any detail that could help him find the girl or her kidnapper. He and Sable were trying to decipher the vision and locate Pearl. But the task have proven to be tedious. They have been at it for hours writing down notes of certain things for million saw and thousands of details with the the vision.

"Come on Vermilion. Clothing, furniture any symbols you can make out." Sable said trying to give suggestions on what to look for.

"It was dark, most likely night. The girl and Jaune were standing over a body, but it was took dark to make out. " He was struggling to say the least. The vision was so vague. He remembered the machines. It looked like a lab…that's it!

"Quick. Do you know anyone in the city that specializes in science or medicine?" Vermillion asked.

"Theres the Starbright couple that live on the outskirts of the city. You think they did this?"

"In my vison there was machinery and equipment everywhere. It looked like a lab." Vermillion said.

"Yeah. That sound like the Starbrights." Sable said in a drained voice. It also held a tenge of disappointment. " it's starting to make more sense. They seem like the most liable suspect. Clay and Selene Starbright. They are doctors. Some of the most brilliant and kind hearted people you ever met. But they hit a bit of a slump last year. They are very wary of new medical technology popping up especially the kind from Atlas. The new medical technology had affectively put the Starbrights out of business. They had to sell their house and now they barely make enough to get by. Now it all makes sense as to why they would target people with huge wallets." Sable explained.

Vermilion downcast. It was a very messed up situation. And a very unfair one. On one hand the new technology from Atlas would save lives. But on the other hand the machines were taking away jobs from people who studied and practiced their entire lives for the positions they once held.

Vermilion could empathize with the situation as he had growing fears of Atlas robots taking away the jobs of the huntsmen.

"We need to investigate them. Go to their house and question them." Vermillion proposed.

Sable agreed. They got into Sable's ship and flew out toward the Starbright's home.

XXXX

Vermilion could only imagine what kind of struggle they must have been putting up with when they arrived at the house. It was a wreck. Pieces of the house were falling off and it looked like it was overrun by Grimm. It was almost like a haunted house.

Vermilion and Sable got out and headed for the front door. Unbeknownst to the hostile threat awaiting them. Beyond the front door in the house was Selene Starbright. She was in her early forties and a seasoned Huntsmen. She was a fairly tall woman standing at about 5 feet eleven inches. She had long dark hair that fell past the middle of her back and she had skin pale as stone. She had a skintight combat skirt and wielded a Axe/Shotgun hybrid.

She was shocked at their arrival. She recognized both figures as the chief of police and the famous Vermillion Arc.

 _What are they doing here?_ _The plan isn't finished yet._

She calmed herself and put on the stereotypical housewife's smile and opened the door.

"Hello Mrs. Starbright my name is Sable. I'm the chief of police for Yeldale. This here is a colleague of mine, Vermillion." Sable introduced.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"There is missing persons' case that I'm working on and I just wanted. To ask a few questions."

Selene reluctantly agreed. She's beckoned the two men in her home and offered them a drink. Her nerves were on fire as she did not know what to do. She is sure they didn't have any evidence that would give away her and her husband's crimes, but she wondered why the police came to her doorstep. They wouldn't come without reason. Something had to tip them off but she couldn't think of what did.

Vermilion considered using his power on her but he hated using it for reasons such as this. Even if her future did detail her kidnapping all the missing people with in Yeldale. He didn't want to condemn someone for something that they might do in the future.

His eyes could see someone's immediate and distant future. Whenever he took a glimpse at someone's future their immediate future almost never changed but sometimes their distant future would change in the slightest. Someone might have a steak for dinner in the next forty years but if he saw their future a third or fourth time they may have chicken.

It was the same for this woman. It was unfair for him to judge all people for what they'll do in the future as the future can be changed.

"May I ask where your husband is?" Sable asked.

"He is running some errands at this time." Selene lied.

"That sounds like Clay. Always busy." Sable continued.

"Yes. He is a busybody. He works all the time these days." Selene replied forcefully.

Vermillion liked his strategy. Sable was trying to keep her talking. Eventually she'll let something slip.

"I'm sorry. You think Clay is a suspect in this case." Selene asked now irritated.

"Unfortunately Selene that seems to be the case. Now I believe-

"My husband would never do something like this! He is a peaceful man. He could never hurt someone else." Selene defended.

 _How do they know? We were clean in covering our tracks. How did they find out._

"I know Selene! I know.. I'm just trying to figure out the case. I want your husband to be innocent too." Sable tried to control the situation but Vermillion could tell he was losing face.

"I realize hard times have struck you guys. It must be hard you and Clay." Vermillion said snatching away the questioning.

"Yes. It does get hard, but we manage to get by." Selene replied.

 _What the hell do you know about struggling Arc. You and your family have had the world handed to you for ages._

"Yes, indeed. I can only imagine how hard it is. But that struggle leads me to believe that your husband may have been involved in the incident. All the people that have gone missing are of a wealthy background."

"So what! You think this is like a vendetta thing? Like revenge?"

"Who said anything about revenge?"

"You are implying it. Now I must ask you all to leave. Your suspicions of me and my husband have hurt me deeply." Selene said now tired of Sable and Vermillion.

 _Damn you Arc._

The two men did not want to do it but now they had no choice. Sable gave Vermilion a cue and with that Vermilion activated his semblance. He looked at a nearby photo of Clay and Selene. They looked happy, almost a tragic irony now as the couple was on the brink of poverty.

Vermillion's semblance allowed him to look into the future of someone so long as he looked at them or a picture of them. He looked at Clay within the photo and scanned through time into Clay's future.

 **The vision brought Vermilion back to the same laboratory that he witnessed Pearl and Jaune in. Now there was no damage to the machines and Pearl was tied up from her hands dangling from the ceiling. She had slash marks across her back, and she was bloodied and bruised.**

 **Clay walked by the girl, looking at her with wrath.**

" **Remember this girl. This pain you feel is because of what your father, the leader of our city, has brought to you. I have no ill will towards you, but you are the perfect weapon to use against your father."**

 **The man had nothing but rage and sorrow filling his form. He swatted at her again with his dagger, causing yet another slash mark against her back. Pearl screamed from the pain.**

 **Something else Vermilion noticed was a door way in the back of the lab that Clay and his victim were in. It had a symbol of a star on it.**

Vermilion exited the vision. Know he knew that Clay was the one behind it all!

He rose from his seat, shocking Sable and scaring Selene.

He walked through the house ignoring the protests of Selene and Sable. He noticed a door with the same symbol. He was about to open it when Selene shouted at him "Do not go in there! That is a private room! You can't just go through people's homes without a warrant!"

Sable had to agree with her. A cop can't just go through people's things just because he had suspicions.

"Slow down Vermilion! We don't know if it was him." Sable said. But he had to wonder if that was true. Vermilion obviously saw something in his vision.

Vermilion was about to turn the knob on the star symbolled door when he was wrapped around the waist by Selene's weapon. It was a sword that could change into a whip. It matched her color motif. She pulled him out of the doorway smashing him through the wall, out into the yard.

"You have no right Arc!" Selene screamed running out into the yard to kill Vermilion.

She swung at him again with her bladed whip, but to no avail as he dodged it effortlessly.

The Eyes of Chronos allowed him to see the immediate future as well. He knew every move she was going to make. Again and again she swiped at him, and again he dodged with grace almost as if he was dancing with her. He closed in on her, elbowing her in the face.

She retaliated by swinging at his neck. The bladed only hit air as he jumped over and landed behind her. He knocked her in the back of her neck with a well-placed chop. Her vision went dark as she passed out, she would have fell to the ground if Vermillion did not catch her.

"That was impressive Leader." Sable complimented, still impressed as at his partner's skill.

"Take her back to the police precinct, I'll go on ahead and see what I can find." Vermillion commanded.

"Hey. I'm the police officer here. There you go again still bossing me around. We aren't at Beacon anymore man!" Sable joked.

"Vermillion smiled and went on into the house to the star symbolled door.

XXXXX

Jaune, Coco and Yatsuhashi found themselves in a much bigger room way beyond the intrance of the labrotory. It was almost like an altar. There was star symbolism plastered everywhere and it had the feel of a church.

In the center was Pearl. Dangling from the ceilding, bounded in misery.

Jaune recognized her. She was the Major's daughter.

"She looks injured." Yatsuhashi stated.

"No shit. We need to get her down from there." Coco said.

"I don't see any enemies. It may be a trap."

"How do know if they know we're here?"

"I don't. But we have to be cautious." Jaune.

"Agreed. Yatsuhashi, take point. Arc, you cover our- GET DOWN!" Coco screamed as she saw a huge blast of aura coming up from a nearby balcony. They all ducked as the blast hit the wall behind them causing it to explode.

"Welcome Huntsmen! I hope you enjoyed your stay here!" Clay Starbright said as he jumped from the balcony. He hoped to take them all out in one blow, but it seemed he underestimated their training.

"Orange hair- that's the guy!" Coco stated as the man matched the physical description.

"Surender! You are outnumbered!" Yatsuhashi warned, taking up an offensive stance.

"Surrender? Like hell." Clay responded as he closed the distance. He drew his weapon, a rapier that shared the star motif as his cult like altar. He swung at Yatsuhashi, who blocked. Surprisingly the gargantuan teen was pushed back by the force of the blow.

Coco began shooting her minigun, spraying bullets at the crazed doctor. He twirled his rapier in a circular motion at amazing speeds, creating a shield, deflecting the bullets away from himself.

Jaune stepped in taking a swing at Clay. Every move and sequence Jaune made was blocked or deflected away. Clay was like an immovable tower, his word acted as a wall of defense. Jaune couldn't penetrate it. He swung low, trying to swipe at his legs but Clay simply jumped over. He slashed at Jaune, the force sending him flying against the wall. Yatsuhashi went in next. He swung long and hard as his giant orange blade came down on Clay.

It was no use as he sidestepped out the way. Before he could stab Yatsuhashi in the side, Coco came in trying to strike him with her now reverted handbag, but Clay blocked that as well.

Jaune scanned his fighting technique Clay was dancing around a joint effort from Coco and Yatsuhashi. Clay favored defense and agility. Every attack they threw, melee or long range was deflected or dodged.

He was sure if they were fighting in a tighter space they could overpower him, but they were in a huge laboratory. He had plenty of room to move around.

 _A surprise attack is the way to go. But for that I'll need a distraction._

He noticed Yatsuhashi trying to pressure Clay into a corner. For the most part it was working, as Clay seemed to be having fun deflecting all of the teens attacks. Clay lacked strength for sure, so a more decisive power blow would unbalance him.

"Yatsuhashi. Go for his legs!" Jaune called.

The towering swordsman did as instructed, though unsurprisingly Clay simply jumped above the swing.

"How stupid! Calling out your plans like tha- GAAHHH!" Clay was shot out of midear by a barrage of electric dust rounds by Coco.

 _Good he fell for it!_ Jaune thought. They had to keep that strategy going. Jaune and Yatsuhashi would provide close combat while Coco would look for openings.

The plan was solid. It kept Clay moving around, effectively tiring him out. His movements began to slow down. Jaune was able to land a solid strike against Clay's chest.

He backed off the team, gaining some distance. He was trying to rest up.

"Do not let him rest!" Jaune called out to Coco and Yatsuhashi as they charged him.

A sinister smile crept up on Clay Starbrights face as his body's aura ignited around him.

THOOM!

A huge blast of Aura covered the lab, blasting away the team.

Coco figured that was his semblance. He drew this power only after getting hit. It was similar to Yang's semblance.

"This is my power. I call it Pain Packer." Clay explained. "If I sustain enough pain I can fire it back in the form of aura. That last move you pulled really did a number on me blondie."

Jaune cursed.

"We can't attack him now. We would only be giving him more power." Yatsuhashi said.

"We could beat him if we deliver a fatal blow." Coco said. "But I don't know. I didn't want to kill him but we may have no choice."

It was a crossroads every huntsman had to come to. Killing someone for the greater good. Jaune didn't know if he was prepared. Their opponent was too powerful, and they were running out or aura and stamina.

"I…I guess we have no choice." Jaune Arc said unsure of himself. His blade shook as his hands did. He was about to take a human life. He may be the bad guy but he was still a person.

Luckily for him. He wouldn't have to as a blade ran through Clay from the back. The blade was an ocean blue.

Clay's body went limp as his life abandoned his body. The one who impaled him was none other than a very wobbly Pearl. She managed to untie herself during the commotion.

The team was speechless as they did not expect her to find the strength to walk.

As Clay's body hit the floor she began to cry. Her hands were covered in blood. Neither Coco nor Yatsuhashi knew what to do. They were surprised to find Jaune taking the girl in his arms, letting her cry.

XXXX

It was just as Vermillion foresaw it. Jaune was holding Pearl as she cried, obviously from the last few months of torment from Clay. He decided not to reveal himself from behind the corridor leading from the Starbright's house. Jaune and the girl were safe and that was all that mattered. He walked back through the house, feeling proud of the leadership skills Jaune had shown.

 _He has improved, he is a seasoned Huntsmen now. I'm sorry I couldn't be the one to help you develop Jaune._

XXXXX

Jaune and CFVY helped all the survivors of what the media were calling the Starbright Abductions back into the city. They were all treated for their wounds, but the psychological wounds would stay with them forever. There was nothing Jaune or his friends could do about that. When they returned they were celebrated as heroes. Reporters were asking all types of fantastic questions, and camera's flashed everywhere. CFVY went back to their hotel to rest up.

As soon as the horde of reporters left the scene at Yeldale's city hall, a familiar face approached Jaune.

"Um..Coal right?" He recognized the man from the horror that was the Starbright's lab.

"Yep, sonny! It's me. Thanks again for the save."

"No thanks needed sir, just doing my job." Jaune said, scratching the back of his head.

"Nonsense. You saved tons of lives kid, be proud." Coal said. "As a token of my thanks I have a proposition for you."

"Hmm?"

"I want you to become my protégé."

"What! Really!?" Jaune was surprised to say the least.

"Yes. I'm also a huntsman. Coal Hayon of Beacon Academy." The older man said matter of factly. He didn't look like a huntsman. He didn't have any armor of warrior like clothing on, just a simple robe and trousers with worn out sandals. But Jaune learned from his days at Beacon that looks can be deceiving; Ruby was a great example as she a fifteen year old was one of the best warriors he knew.

"I myself was following the same case you were. Grimm were piling up at that madman's lab and I tried to bring him in, but he was too strong for me. That's why I want to train you. You and your friends were able to take him down. You have great potential." Coal continued.

"Gosh.. I don't know what to say." Jaune managed to get out. This was a good day for him.

"Say nothing! Just agree."

Jaune did as he was instructed and agreed. He and Coal exchanged numbers and went their separate ways. Jaune went back to the hotel with Team CFVY exited at the thought of training with Coal.

XXXXX

He was to open the door when he was tackled by the bubbly flash of orange and pink.

"FEARLESS LEADER!" Nora Valkyrie shouted in joyous glee.


End file.
